FREE SAN DIEGO ROUBADOUR Alternative country, Americana, roots, Tfolk, gospel, and bluegrass music news February 2003 Vol. 2, No. 5 what’s inside Welcome Mat………3 Dennis Mail Box Mission Statement Contributors Full Circle..…………4 Kenny Wertz Caplinger Lou Curtiss Front Porch…………6 Mike Tater, Jr. Blind Boys of Alabama Irish Dance Chris Thile/Mike Marshall Parlor Showcase...…8 Dennis Caplinger Highway’s Song... …10 Jimmy “Diesel” White The NAMM Show Ramblin’...…………11 José Sinatra Paul Abbott Of Note.……………12 The Bandits Darlin’ and Rose Hatfield Rain A Good-Natured Riot Singing in the Saddle In the Country of Country A Hot Bed of Musicians ‘Round About .......…13 Local Yokels February Music Calendar The Local Seen……15 Photo Page The The Lou Curtiss Sound Library Presents Join us for a SD Troubadour Showcase Roots Music Video Showcase Rare Country Music • Blues • Jazz • Cajun & Zydeco • Latin • Other • Roots • Rare Music on Film at DIZZY’S The Lou Curtiss Sound Library Thursday, February 13, 7:30pm LeStats Coffee house at Folk Arts Rare Records 3343 Adams Avenue 3611 Adams Avenue third friday monthly San Diego, CA 92116-2213 7-10 p.m. Phone: 619/282-7833 FEATURING • Robin Henkel • Seve White Robin Henkel • The 7th Day Buskers • Kitchenfire • Fowl Play Steve White SPECIAL GUESTS • José Sinatra • The Truckee Brothers • Derek Duplessie 7th Day Buskers • Phil Harmonic Dizzy’s 344 7th Avenue Kitchenfire (between J and K Streets) Downtown, San Diego $8 cover For more information: Fowl Play DizzysSanDiego.com Alternative country, Americana, roots, folk, gospel, and bluegrass music news San Diego Troubadour • February 2003 welcomewelcome matmat SAN DIEGO MAILBOX ROUBADOUR Alternative country, Americana, roots, Tfolk, gospel, and bluegrass music news Dear Troubadour, Feel free to give me a call, What a delight it was to and I’d be happy to set up pick up the Troubadour this an interview. After all, it’s my last month and read your band! MISSION CONTRIBUTORS centerpiece story on San Cheers, To promote, encourage, and Diego’s burgeoning Celtic PUBLISHERS Patric Petrie, Assistant Editor provide an alternative voice for music scene followed by an the great local music that is Lyle Duplessie San Diego Business Journal equally impressive story on with Prickly Pair and “Curly” generally overlooked by the Thom Vollenweider Gregory Page and Tom Dear Patric, Jim Musgrave. Tickets are mass media; namely the genres Brosseau. I was particularly Thanks for the nice letter! $10 at the door. For more of folk, country, roots, EDITOR Americana, gospel, and blue- taken with the wide range of We really felt bad about leav- info call John and BJ Maus at grass. To entertain, educate, and Ellen Duplessie musical styles covered in your ing out your band, Skelpin’, 760-723-563 or bring together players, writers, CD review section. How right but unfortunately we didn’t [email protected] and lovers of these forms; to GRAPHIC DESIGN you are to point out the learn about your band until The San Diego North explore their foundations; and to Liz Abbott impressive musical talent we just after we had gone to County Bluegrass and Folk expand the audience for these have unnoticed on our very print. Since that time, we’ve Club meets on the first types of music. PHOTOGRAPHY doorstep. As the former list- heard of you often. Now that Tuesday of each month at 7 To receive advertising rates and Mildred Moreno ings editor for the Union- we’ve checked out the local p.m. at Round Table Pizza at information, call 619/298-8488 or Tribune’s Night&Day tab, as Celtic music scene, it’s like we the corner of Washington e-mail [email protected]. well as currently being the found buried treasure… so and Ash in Escondido. DISTRIBUTION assistant editor of the San much good music that we Admission is free but the San Diego Troubadour Kent Johnson Diego Business Journal, I have didn’t even know that much P.O. Box 164 Pizza isn’t. This is great not La Jolla, CA 92038 long believed that San Diego about! only for the amateur E-mail: [email protected]. ADVERTISING is bursting with too many Thanks again and we’ll be in folk/bluegrass musician E Ellen Duplessie untold stories about truly touch. (there’s a lot of jamming out SAN DIEGO TROUBADOUR, the Kent Johnson wonderful musicians. in the parking lot) but also if The Editor local source for alternative However, curiously I you just want to come and country, Americana, roots, folk, WRITERS noticed there was no men- Dear Troubadour, hear some superb traditional gospel, and bluegrass music Paul Abbott tion of nationally renowned When I read the letter from music. On February 4th the news, is published monthly and Pat Chin Irish band Skelpin’ in your Jens Morrison in your January Andy Rau Band will be there. is free of charge. Letters to the Lou Curtiss roundup. Unlike Kitchenfire 2003 issue, which asked, On March 4th The Dowden editor must be signed and may or Celticana, fine bands that “Aren’t there any folk places Sisters will show up and on Ellen Duplessie be edited for content. It is not, they are, Skelpin’ is the only in North County?” I couldn’t April 1st the California Lyle Duplessie however, guaranteed that they area Irish band with a steady believe that Jens didn’t know Bluegrass Band will be Phil Harmonic will appear. gig in the Gaslamp, going on about the Fallbrook coming. John Hyatt two years, and the band that Americana Music Series and All opinions expressed in SAN Jack C. Holt José Sinatra has appeared, not once, the San Diego North County DIEGO TROUBADOUR, unless “Character Counts” Jimmy “Diesel” White twice or even three times, Bluegrass and Folk Club. otherwise stated, are solely the Gus Williker but actually four times with opinion of the writer and do not The Fallbrook Americana Hello, Robert Woerheide the Chieftains at 4th & B and Series features traditional and I really enjoy your paper. represent the opinions of the Humphreys by the Bay. roots music once a month at There’s a lot of acoustic staff or management. All rights Skelpin’ has performed at the the Hilltop Center at 331 E. music going on out there reserved. Adams Avenue Street Fair, on Elder in Fallbrook. Just last that people just don’t seem ©2003 San Diego Troubadour. Cover photography by Thom Vollenweider KPBS, NBC, and at events January 11th, we had to hear about. Keep up the ranging from Ireland to Christopher Shaw and Artie good work. Mexico. Traum in and it was great! Skooter In addition, Skelpin’ is This February 22nd at WRITE TO US! scheduled to perform for the 7:30pm is Bluegrass Night We’d love to hear from you! San Diego Folk Heritage in and we’ll have Bill Knopf, Send your comments, feedback, February, and the band’s new Clearly Bluegrass and Tom or suggestions to: CD Whiskey Before Breakfast is Corbett. March 8th is Celtic [email protected] scheduled for release in the music with Golden Bough. or to San Diego Troubadour, next two weeks. April 12 is Western music P.O. Box 164, La Jolla, CA 92038-0164. Phil Harmonic Sez: XTREME COUNTRY RADIO SHOW hosted by Mike Vlack “Everybody can be great … because anybody can serve. Americana, alternative country, and classics You don’t have to have a college degree to serve. Sunday evenings, 7-10pm You don’t have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love.” Stay tuned for the Wayne Rice Bluegrass Special at 10pm — Martin Luther King, Jr. KSON 97.3-FM 3 February 2003 • San Diego Troubadour fullfull circlecircle Down the Road with Kenny Wertz by Lyle Duplessie Gary Carr and John Bill (brother Blvd., the White Whale and the tried to make amends by urging of actor Tony Bill) to form a folk Hungry Horse Saloon in Bird Hillman to take them along for n previous issues of the San trio, the Milestones. The boys Rock, and The Heritage in an upcoming Burrito tour. The Diego Troubadour, much has gravitated to Frank Emig’s furni- Mission Beach. Old-time locals splendid work of this Gazette- Ibeen written about the great ture store/vintage guitar shop in might recall Wertz and friends Burrito amalgam can be heard in grand-daddy of all local blue- North Park, where they found playing there. the live album Last of the Red grass bands, the Scottsville themselves in comfortable com- Wertz related an interesting Hot Burritos. Squirrel Barkers. The group’s pany with Ed Douglas, Larry story from this period when Glen Near the tour’s end Hillman key players — Chris Hillman and Murray, and Yuris Zeltins. When Frey and J.D. Souther, a.k.a. was summoned by Stephen Stills Ed Douglas — have provided Douglas, Murray, and Zeltins Longbranch Pennywhistle, had to do some recording work in much information about this piv- moved on to open The Blue played the Candy Company. Florida. Upon his return he otal San Diego band and the cir- Guitar in the Midway district, the Having no place to go after the announced that he was folding cumstances surrounding its for- Milestones followed. gig, the boys holed up at Wertz’s the Burritos and joining mation (see December 2001, Santee residence for a week. As Manassas. This left Wertz in the August 2002, and September- Wertz tells it, they spent most of awkward position of having no October 2002 issues of the San their waking hours writing songs gig.